J7/12/04 12:18 FAX il002/002

CHARLES E. SCHUMER COMMITTEES:

NEW YORK
BANKING
. , . , , , _ , _, JUDICIARY

United States Senate

WASHINGTON, DC 20510

July 12, 2004

Thomas H. Kean
Chair
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
Upon the United States
301 7th Street, SW
Room 5125
Washington, DC 20407

Dear Commissioner Kean,

In light of recent statements made by your staff, 1 am writing to urge you to hold a briefing for the families
of the victims of September 11 in New York, not in Washington DC alone as planned when you release your
report. As you know, most of the families of 3,000 victims killed at the World Trade Center reside in New York
and the surrounding area. These families are looking forward to reading your report to find answers about what
happened to their loved ones on that terrible day and I hope that they will have the opportunity to have the report
explained to them first hand.

Holding the family briefings in Washington DC would be inconvenient and costly— relatives of the victims
from New York would have to travel more than eight hours round trip to hear from the Commission. The cost of
travel and accommodation would likely cost the average family more than $300.1 urge you to reconsider the
Commission's plan for the family briefing and to hold additional briefings in New York to accommodate the needs
and interests of the relatives of the World Trade Center victims. Mr. Chairman, it does not seem like too much
to ask, both for the families in New York and for the families in DC who lost their loved ones at the Pentagon.
This process should be as convenient and painless for these families as possible.

Your Commission held only two hearings in New York. Many families who would have liked to see the
testimony of Administration and intelligence officials were unable to make the trip to DC and must now rely on
the findings of the report. The families deserve the chance to hear a firsthand explanation of exactly what the
report means and to have their questions answered by its authors. Mr. Chairman, the families were instrumental
in getting the Commission the independence and authority it required to perform a thorough and balanced
investigation into the events of September 11. We owe it to these families for the sacrifice they have made for
America and for the service they have done on this issue to bring a briefing to them where they live in New York.

I look forward to reading the Commission's final report and am encouraged by reports that it will be issued
as early as this week. I expect to hear from you shortly as to where and when these briefings will be held.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator